Ban Ki-moon condemns deadly car bomb attack in Nigeria

A car bomb has exploded at the United Nations building in Abuja, Nigeria, killing at least ten people.

3:36PM BST 26 Aug 2011

Witnesses reported seeing thick black smoke billowing from the building in Nigeria's capital Abuja at around 11am (BST).

It is believed that the blast was so large that it destroyed a wing of the UN office. Dozens are feared dead.

In a statement to reporters at the UN headquarters in New York, Ban said: "Around 11 o'clock this morning, local time, the United Nations House in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, was struck by a car bomb.

"These buildings house 26 humanitarian and development agencies of the United Nations family. This was an assault on those who devote their lives to helping others.

"We condemn this terrible act, utterly."

A security source told Reuters: "A car rammed into the building and exploded. This is very likely the work of Boko Haram and, or, AQIM (al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb) and is a serious escalation in the security situation in Nigeria. This is the worst thing that could have happened."

Alessandra Vellucci, a spokeswoman for the UN office in Geneva, said the global body's offices in Abuja had been bombed.